UKC

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/how-putin-got-into-americ...

'Russia seeks to weaken a foreign adversary from the inside, paralyzing its ability to resist. It partners with a range of allies, such as oligarchs and journalists, and uses a diverse toolbox, including propaganda and cyber attacks. Moscow begins by locating the target country’s weakest point, whether it’s an ethnic, religious, or partisan cleavage. Then Russia manufactures a sense of distrust to destroy the social contract. Whereas the Stasi might break into a man’s apartment in the middle of the night and turn on his electric razor—just to freak him out—Moscow uses hackers and trolls to propagate conspiracy theories and cultivate a skepticism of authority.

Russia’s meddling in the 2016 U.S. election was less about altering the result, and more about messing with America’s sanity—feeding cynicism about the system, encouraging people to second-guess reality, and leaving America too incapacitated to offer much resistance. Since 2016, the Kremlin has continued trying to maximize political division, using troll farms and Facebook to boost both Trump and Bernie Sanders, and attack Joe Biden.'

There is also an interesting bit about this in the Adam Curtis documentary Hypernormalization. Starting at 2:22:00

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p04b183c/adam-curtis-hypernormalisati...

I do wonder how much of the current 'culture wars' on social media are being stoked by Russia. Also you have to wonder if Trump is also doing the same thing. For example his announcement that it was the biggest ever inauguration even though there was photographic evidence it wasn't. Maybe it is a calculated mind f**k 

Good article, thanks. I think Trump is operating at a much less subtle level - he's blatantly undermining US democracy. 

but this is no news, it's simply a continuation of what they did post ww2 for decades.  Simply that some people thought the demise of the USSR meant it had stopped.  But no, surprise surprise, those at the top now learned ther trade in the KGB/GRU/FSB and mix with gangstas.

What is new is a gullible audience of the internet.   To the Brexiters who say no one was taken in by the PutinBrexit lies, then why doe Putin do it if it doesn't work?

Boris and the Brexiteers and Farage all lied continously to get the Brexit vote, aided by the odious Mekon using Putin style subversion.

They are continuous liars and then the tory membership gave us the liar in chief as party leader.  Did we expect him to suddenly change in government?  They go on as they started and that goes a long long way to create the shite we have now

The UK is very adept at this as well and has been quite successful in destabilising or even overthrowing governments, particularly in the Middle East.